A Singer's Game
by sierra.steinbrecher
Summary: I am tired of being told how to live. But to rebel is to die. Unless death is rebelling.
1. Introductions

I ran my hand through the apple bins and picked out a slightly brown one. It wasn't squishy or anything, but I didn't want to take the risk. One rotten piece of fruit in my barrel and I wouldn't be able to lie down for weeks. There was only one healer in our section of District Eleven, and she was busy setting broken bones from pickers who'd tried to climb to high and fallen. Thankfully, my sisters and brother weren't among them.

My sorting partner Angie is working on the pears. I glance around to check for overseers and then start to sing a little something I like to work too.

"Sift the apples, check for brown.

Make sure every fruit is sound.

Get it done 'fore the sun goes down,

Or Capitol won't feed the town."

"Shh!" I hear from Angie's direction. I look up to see that one of her hands holds a finger against her lips, but she can't hide the smile. I won't mess up my work, but there's nothing to stop me from singing. We check once more to make sure no one's around before we start humming the tune, softly.

I finish the ditty for the third time and take a deep breath. The scent of ripe fruit fills my nostrils. The smell is the best part of the job, especially since I bring it home with me every day, on my clothes and in my hair. Luke used to say the smell made up for my singing. My brother never really liked it. I quickly turn my thoughts away from my brother. Thinking about him means thinking about… that.

And I have to go to that after work today. Today's what we call "Breeding Day" behind the peacemaker's back. The Capitol takes a sample of your blood and matches you up with one of the boys from your district. You have to have four kids. My jaw clenches at the thought, but my hands tremble too.

Angie got lucky. They called her in this morning and told her she was going to marry Brant from school. For once, they actually made a good match. The two had made eyes at each other for the whole last year of school. Angie had come back with her face red and a smile, a real smile, not the one she plastered on for the peacemakers. With that example, I should have been happier about the day. But not after what I saw happen to Luke. My hands ball into fists as I remember the… woman they paired him with.

I'm almost done with my last cart, which is good because I know the call will come soon. I'll be ordered into the pairing office and be ordered to marry some kid I don't know. I'm putting the last apple aside when it comes in over the loudspeakers.

"Sierra Leiant, please report to the pairing office." I look over at Angie, hoping for an encouragement, but she's still buried in her pears. I strip off my heavy sorter's gloves, hang them with my apron and hairnet, and walk out of the room, not sure whether to shiver or stomp.

The building they keep the pairing office in is new. Gotta give the Capitol people a good impression. Why bother? Cattle don't try to impress their owners.

I'm still shaking as I walk down the hall, half hoping. Could I maybe get a match like Mom did? She saw Dad for the first time in this office, since he was from a different part of the district. They had a great relationship now. I mean, they had all six of us, not just the required four. But then that image of Luke crawls up into my head, and I have to bite my lip to keep going.

There's the door. I open it and slip through, closing it soundlessly behind me. Still, the woman at the desk looks up and smiles at me. A fake smile with no warmth. What a liar. There's two chairs situated in front of the desk, and an elbow peaks out from the side of one of them. That's him. My future husband. I walk up slowly, giving him a sideways glance.

I feel my heart jump into my throat.

It's Matthew.

Now I know the Capitol hates me.

**Okay, I'm basically inserting myself into the Hunger Games. It's not the same one as Katniss, so I'll be doing it from scratch. REVIEW!**


	2. Love turned Hate

Matthew used to be one of the best pickers. He'd climb right to the top of the trees for the ripest, sweetest apples, and jump right down, not bothering with shimmying down the trunk. Since Matthew was an orphan and my brother was sort of mentoring him, Luke used to bring him home for dinner sometimes. They'd joke and laugh all through the meal and wrestle with Tori and Kira afterwards. I didn't really notice him much. Until that one day, the day he caught me singing while sewing up a hole in my brother's patched jeans. I can even remember the song.

"Patch of red, thread of blue,

I save scraps just for you.

Little ones need them too.

Try not to tear on through."

I'd looked up, and he'd just been standing there, listening. I quickly shut my mouth and looked away. What would he say?

"That was funny." I looked up again and saw that he was smiling. "Did you write that?"

I nodded. "I sing it every time I have to sew on another one for him. I swear, one more patch and you won't be able to tell the original color."

He laughed at that, and came to sit beside me. "Do you know any other ones?"

"Yes."

"Can you teach me?"

I locked gazes with him. I'd heard somewhere that you could tell what a person was like by looking at their eyes. Something about windows to the soul. His eyes were a dark brown, with a kind of sharp brilliance. They weren't avoiding my stare, and he hadn't laughed at my singing like the other boys his age. No harm in trying, right? "Well, I can teach you songs, but not singing. Can you?"

"Can I what?"

"Sing."

He ran his fingers through his black hair. I'd never noticed before, but it was kind of fine and fairly straight, unlike my own thick mass. I kind of liked it. "Probably. I mean, I never really tried."

"Try to hit this note." I sang a low C, and he echoed it after a little shaking. His voice wasn't that good, but he'd picked up on the pitch pretty fast. I sang a chord. He echoed me. I tried a simple tune. He kept pace. I smiled at him. "You're pretty good, for a beginner."

Just as he was about to say something, Luke walked in. "What ya doing up here Matthew? Don't tell me she started you singing." He smirked. I threw my pillow at his face, which he caught easily in one hand. Curse his reflexes! "Dinner's ready." Matthew and I got off the bed and walked out of the room. But he stayed with me, all the way down the stairs.

Fate is cruel. The day after his first singing lesson, Mathew tried to jump out of a tree that was higher than normal. I was taking Luke the lunch he'd forgotten, so I got to watch. He soared through the air like the bird I was trying to turn him into, but when he landed there was a crunch and a scream. I ran forward and looked at his leg. It wasn't good. Bone shards were sticking out of numerous places on his legs.

He gasped out, "Help me," and lifted his hand towards my face. I gently took it. I didn't know when or if he wanted me to let go, so I stayed that way until Luke and the other workers brought a stretcher. I tried to let go of his hand then, but he tightened his grip and looked at me again, begging. I held his hand all the way to the healer's. I got whipped for not completing my work that day.

I found out later what had happened to his legs. The jump had shattered his shin bones into multiple fragments that couldn't heal properly. When I saw him a few months later, his legs were bend in odd angles and he used crutches to get around. He was assigned to a Sorter unit, thankfully in a different warehouse from mine. Before, he had been a sign that we were still human here, that we still had friendships and-dare I say it-crushes. Now seeing him just made me think about how much I hated the Capitol.

And now they'd paired me with him. They had permanently attached me to the reminder of how much I hated the Capitol. Well they weren't getting away with it this time. I sat through the talk they gave us, about how we weren't to live together until after the Reaping tomorrow, how we were supposed to have lots of kids, and how we'd be rewarded if we did. As soon as we were dismissed, I got up and stiffly walked out the door. I had made a decision. I was volunteering for the Hunger Games tomorrow. But I wasn't playing.

**Since no one voted on the poll, I just picked my own guy. **

** guest: Sierra is my real name, and Leiant is just my middle name spruced up. **

**Please Review!**


	3. Who to Tell?

I think about my decision all the way home. Should I tell my sisters? I almost think I should, just to see the looks on their faces. But Tori would probably just make a joke out of it or something. They never seemed to get me, especially when I was talking about things that were unique to me. The little girls wouldn't get it, and Kira would probably be shocked or think I was joking. No, I can't tell them.

What about Mom? I've told her a lot that I would rather die than live here; everything is so worrying and tiring. There's not much happiness, and I don't get any, at least none that I don't make myself by singing. She's always quick to remind me that I have my sisters to look after, and that I had to get married and have kids someday. But she does understand at least a little why I want to end it, although I've never taken action about it before. So I guess I could tell her, to prepare her for it.

And if I'm telling Mom, I should probably tell Dad too, if only to prepare him. Or should I ask Mom to tell him for me? Yes, he can tell him after the fact, or when they come to say goodbye to me. Parents aren't allowed to work during that time, just in case their kid gets picked so they can say goodbye. Actually, no one in the District works on that day. Even people like Luke usually have family in the Reaping.

I have to walk a long ways to get home, through the best part of town. We're not on the outskirts, but we're pretty close. There's only three bedrooms for all of us. Luke used to get one all to himself, but since he moved out there's more room for me and my four sisters. Speaking of room, how am I going to get Mom alone long enough to talk to her? Maybe I could say I wanted to talk to her about the guy they'd picked out for me. Yeah, that would guarantee me privacy for at least a half hour, especially if I offered to help cook dinner. I didn't like the thought of slicing onions, but didn't turn down the option.

I reached our home. The apartment complex was a ramshackle affair, little to no paint left and worn wood on the clouded windows. We were lucky to have actual glass. I listened as I stood in front of the door. Yep, everyone was home. I could hear Tani and Momo racing around in the kitchen, chasing each other between Mom's legs I suspected from her occasional shouting. Don't get me wrong, I loved my two little sisters, but sometimes they could be a major pain. I was glad I shared with Tori, not them. We had the ground floor, another lucky break since nothing saps energy like ten flights of stairs. I opened the door and went in.

Mom stuck her head out of the kitchen and exclaimed, "The new bride is home!" She'd done the same thing to my brother, even though that… hadn't turned out very well. But she tried to be optimistic. Then, to my delight, she told Tori to take care of the soup, asked Kira to mind the other two, and grabbed my hand as she slipped into her and Dad's bedroom. Its walls were just whitewash, but Mom had tacked up drawings and papers from school with whatever she could find, and it gave the room a homey feel. Even if the floor creaked so badly you felt it would fall through.

She gestured for me to sit on the bed, plopped down beside me, and looked at me expectantly. "So, what's he like?"

I grinned at her eager face. Priceless. I decided to have a little fun with this. "You know him, actually."

"Is it Benjamen?"

I snorted. Like they'd give me such a valuable asset. "Mom, I'm not that great."

"Don't say that." She scowled slightly. She never liked it when I put myself down, which I did a lot. "You're an amazing young woman. I wouldn't be surprised if they gave you the mayor's son."

I decided to burst her bubble. "It was Matthew."

I watched as the implications of what I'd just said roamed over her face. She tried to brighten and said, "Well, at least the two of you know each other. I think he's a good pick."

No, he wasn't, and she knew it. My mom was not blind, in fact she usually noticed more than I gave her credit for, especially where me and the other girls were concerned. She'd known Tori was seeing someone long before I suspected anything. Though that was to be expected, seeing as how I was a slow learner where social skills were concerned. Yet another way I was insufficient.

I mustered up the courage. "Mom," I took a deep breath, "I'm volunteering for the Hunger Games tomorrow."

**Please Review!**


	4. Brother

She laughed.

I slapped her across the face. How could she be laughing? I'd basically just told her I was going to kill myself, and she was laughing. I wanted to hit her again! I got up and stormed out of the room and the house. I was slightly euphoric. I had done it. The words that had been going around in my heads for years had finally come out. I was being reckless and stupid and rebellious and I loved it. Oh, I could live like this forever.

I laughed, a crazy laugh that burbled out of me. I would live rebellious, at the Reaping, in the arena… I would never be tame again! I was free! I started singing those words.

Free to live, buck the rule.

Be rebellious, not a tool.

Living here is to submit.

That's a glove I will not fit.

Reaping Day, I volunteer.

They will not control me here.

Capitol will not forget

Standards of revolt I set.

And for once, I sang them as LOUD AS I WANTED TO. They echoed off the walls, filling the air with the result of my crazy free music. Who cared if the peacekeepers heard me? There was nothing they could do to me anymore.

But they could hurt my family. That thought brought me out of my frenzied state and I glanced around, hoping that I was far enough from my home that my sisters hadn't heard. They would not know anything until tomorrow. But that meant I couldn't go home, or Mom would try to talk me out of it, with no guarantee that they wouldn't hear. Where was I gonna stay?

Going to a friend's was out. They were all obedient to the Capitol, the ones that I had, and they weren't very close, another symptom of my inability to deal with social situations. And they wouldn't understand what I was going through anyway. But there was someone who could, who'd been hurt by the Capitol in much the same way. And he did have his own house, even if he had to share it with that…woman they'd chained him to. I could go to Luke.

With that thought in my head, I started running. His house was in a different part of town, on the outskirts. Once he'd had a few kids, they'd put him in a better area so they'd survive to work and reproduce. I was halfway there when I halted, out of breath. I'd never been very strong or athletic. I chuckled to myself a little. As I was, there was no way I'd win. But I didn't really want to.

Still, it didn't hurt to make myself more of a fighter, so instead of walking the rest of the way, I went back into my highest gear. The complex where Luke lived was even worse than ours. No paint and no glass. The windows were shut tight against intruders. I took the steps two at a time until I reached the fourth floor where his two-room apartment was, a bathroom/bedroom and everything else. We'd helped him when he'd first moved in but we didn't see him much afterwards since the…woman didn't like my littlest sisters. I knocked on the door.

Luke said "Coming," and opened the door a second later.

He was startled to find me there. "Sierra! I haven't seen you in a while! How are you?"

I never answered with a simple 'fine', and I wasn't starting now. "Very tired and misunderstood. Can I come in?"

He opened the door wider. "Sure. Sarah's not back yet, I think she's with her friends for the night." He closed the door behind him, and I saw him slide the lock into place. Good, he was taking my presence here seriously. You know, it was almost funny that I'd ended up here. Up until about three years ago, Luke and I had fought more than anyone else in the family, mostly about my singing. He didn't like it, and I didn't like him telling me to stop. But he was the one I came to now, when I needed someone to talk to. Maybe that's because, in the days after he'd been paired with Sarah but before he'd moved out, I given him some advice. Good logical advice that bit deep and hurt, but worked when you put it into practice. Now it was his turn to listen.

He didn't have many chairs in the room so I sat on the floor hugging my knees to my chest. I sat down in front of me, cross-legged, and asked, "Why are you misunderstood?"

So I told him, about Matthew, about the Games, even about slapping Mom and the crazy song I'd made. He listened, nodding and not interrupting. Once I was done, he got up and went to the kitchen part of the room. He faced away from me as he said, "You know it'll hurt Matthew's feelings, right? It'll look like you'd rather die than marry him. And he's not a bad guy, I wouldn't have been friends with him otherwise."

"It's not that I don't like him, per say," I said, absentmindedly braiding a strip of my hair. "It's just that they're chaining me to him. I don't want to be controlled anymore, and this is the only way to escape it."

"You could run away."

"The fence is electrified, and I wouldn't last two days in the woods. Besides, I don't just want to get away."

"You want to rebel." I looked up. Luke was standing over me with two mugs. One smelled like coffee, but the other one smelled like mint. "Here." He handed me the minty mug. I was surprised he had teas, until I remembered that it had been Sarah's mom's moving out present. One of the few good things about the match was that she had come from a family of herbalists who acted as doctors sometimes. "You can stay until the Reaping or until Sarah gets back. You know how she is about family visiting."

"Oh, yeah." I took a sip of the tea. It smelled great, but… "You didn't brew this long enough."

"What?" Oh, now he was teasing me.

"There's no flavor."

"If you want flavor, try coffee." He held the mug of dark liquid under my nose. "You might not spit it out like you did the first time you tried it."

I whacked his arm away, almost spilling the drink. "Get that out of my face." He laughed, as did I. I didn't realize how much I'd missed him. Sure he could be a pain sometimes, but when he was like this, all funny, I loved being around him. I would have started singing, except that I knew he didn't like it.

Luke stood up again, and helped me get to my feet. "You can have the bed."

I shook my head. "If I'm going into the Hunger Games, I need to get used to the floor. Do you have a blanket?" He went to the bed and pulled the quilt off. Mom had given it to him when he'd left. Even though it was just scraps we couldn't wear anymore, it was still warm. "Thanks." He went back to the bed and I curled up in the kitchen, still clutching my warm mug. I'd need all the sleep I could get if I wanted to be strong tomorrow.

**Much of this chapter is real. Please Review!**


	5. Take that, Capitol

I woke up to shouting the next day. "Why is she here?!"

It was Sarah. She must have come home some time during the night. "She didn't have anywhere else to go! What was I supposed to do?! She's my sister!"

I started walking in the direction of the fight as the shouting rose in volume. "I DON'T CARE! SHE HAS TO GO, NOW!"

"HEY!" I shouted at the top of my considerable voice. Sarah whipped around, scowling. "I just need some clothes and I'll be gone."

Luke brushed past her and went over to the clothes basket. Plunging his arms in, he came back up with a shirt and flowery skirt. Sarah started to protest. "Those are-"

"She just needs them for the Reaping. She can return them afterwards." Yeah right. I'd be going on the train afterwards. How was that going to work? Did he plan to bring me something else to change into when the visiting time came? Would I have time? He handed the clothes to me and motioned for Sarah to leave the room. "We'll just let her change and she'll be gone." They went out of the room and I looked at the clothes he'd given me.

The shirt was on top. It had short sleeves, with the high cuffs gathered together so the edges were ruffled. There was nothing on the front, but the bottom had the same ruffles. I liked the white color, although it was slightly grey from all the times it had been washed. The skirt had once been pretty, but the swirling print had long faded and it hung limp when I dragged it over my narrow hips. It might have looked good on someone with actual curves, but fell flat on me. Oh well, at least I had a bit of a chest and not a huge waist, so the shirt didn't look half bad. Or at least, I imagined it didn't.

I got out of the house quickly and started walking towards the center of town, where the Reaping would occur. I saw other kids walking too, some with their families, some without. I was suddenly glad that the rest of my family would be coming from the other direction. With luck, I wouldn't have to see them until it was time for them to visit me before I left. There were two stations, one on each side. I was pricked and slipped, just like I had been last year and all the years before that. Walking over to the other eighteen-year-olds, I spotted Angie in the crowd. After I was settled in next to her, she leaned over and whispered, "I'm in twenty-seven times. You?"

"Fourty-eight." _But it doesn't matter. _Then the speeches started. I zoned out. It was the same every year, why should I pay attention? I probably knew it better than they did by this time. First was that stupid film, then the mayor, then the representative. I will never understand why he dips his head in silver paint. That doesn't even look good! I have a hard time not laughing.

"Well gents, have to lead the way." I swirled his hand through the bowl, touching every single piece of paper. I saw his hand scrape the sides. Just pick a stupid slip. "Cougen Atlan." One of the fifteen- year-olds got up on the stage. I couldn't see him very well, since my age group was at the very back. But there was no mistaking that hunched posture. Cougen was already beat. He shuffled up onto the stage and shook hands with silver dude. How could I focus on his name with his color glaring at me?

"Onto the ladies." And he snatched the first paper he could touch. What the?! Oh, so we're not worth perusing!?

Then I almost laughed at myself. I hated him when he took his time, and hated him when he didn't. My own hypocracy made me giggle. "Sandra Coltal." A girl from the twelve section started shaking. But she'd only be up there for a few seconds before I bailed her out. I readied myself. After she'd been introduced, Metallic Man – that was a good one – asked for volunteers.

I breathed in deeply. My "I volunteer" rang out on my best high note.

Heads turned to look at me. Angie almost clapped her hand over my mouth. I returned their gazes, steadied my legs, and strode up to the podium. They had not beaten me, not yet. And there was no way I was going to let them think that. Sandra brushed my arm as she ran down from the stage and I ascended to it. Metallic Man asked what my name was and thrust the microphone at my face.

I nearly batted it aside, like I had yesterday with Luke's mug. Once I got used to the thing, I said "Sierra Leiant".

He reclaimed the black device and asked, "So, why did you volunteer?" And then the thing was back in my face.

I took a moment to think of the right words. I couldn't be outright rebellious at this stage, I didn't know how that would affect me later on. "Because after this year, I'll lose my life anyway. Why not save someone else's at the same time?"

That shut him up. He introduced us as the tributes and we were taken into the Justice Building for our goodbyes. I cringed. The walk up to the podium had been easy. This was what I was scared of.

**Please Review! Ideas are more than welcome, I need more tributes than I can think up right now. There is some general plot figured out, but I'm always looking for more. By the way, my brother's girlfriend isn't nearly that bad.**

**The boy's name is actually pretty cool, and kind of hints about his character. Cougen is a version of the cat, and the last name is built off of Atlas, the Greek mythology figure. Why I gave him that name will crop up in the next few chapters, if I get inspired enough by the reviews.**


	6. One day at a time

The building was a lot like the breeding building, only fancier. There were paintings on some of the walls, and the floor was a different kind of stone, maybe granite or something. It was cold, that was for sure. I could feel it through my thin shoes. They separated Cougan and me, taking us into rooms across the hall from each other. They left me in the room and shut the door behind me.

It was different from the hallway. The floor here was wood, a rare commodity. There were one or two couches in the room, and the walls were a pale cream instead of white. It felt more… livable. I liked it.

Then the door almost broke down as my whole family crashed into the room. Tani and Momo got to me first. The two little girls wrapped their arms around my waist, murmuring into the skirt, asking me not to go. I bent down and hugged them too. Normally I wouldn't let anyone touch me, but these two were the exception.

I looked up from my littlest sisters. Kira was sitting on one of the couches, looking a little pale. Sweet little Kira. Of course she would be shocked at my decision. It would have been different if I'd just been picked, I know. But none of them could understand why I'd done it. Tori was standing off to one side, looking angry more than anything else.

Mom gently stripped the little girls off of me. She was looking at me odd. "Why did you do it?"

I replied, "I told you already. I'm going to die anyways, inside at least. Why not go down fighting? Besides, I saved Sandra's life." She was still looking confused and hurt. "What?"

She took a deep breath and asked, "Was life really so terrible here? I know living with your condition hasn't been easy, but…"

I cut her off. "It's not your fault, if that's what you're thinking. It's the Capitol's fault. I don't want to have to live like this. If they'd paired me with someone I didn't know, I might have hope for a family like this," I gestured to those around me, "but they didn't." I paused for a moment, looking for the right words. I could hear the guards outside, so this would probably be the last thing I said to them. "Why should I live out a future I have no hope in? At least someone else has a chance now." It wasn't entirely truthful, but it was close enough.

The guard ushered them out and, to my surprise, Luke came in. He had a bundle under his arm, my clothes from last night. I took them and went behind one of the couches to change. He spoke loud enough for me to hear. "How'd they take it?"

"Not well. I don't think any of them understood." I blew some hair out of my face. "I didn't get to see Dad. Could you talk to him for me?"

"Sure. You done yet?"

"Yeah." I came out from behind the couch, back in my own shirt and pants. I gave him a quick hug before the guard came back for me.

Cougal come out of the other room. They marched us out to the platform and then to the train station, hands wrapped tight around our upper arms in case we tried to escape. As if I would. I had chosen this. At that second, I shut my emotions away. Everyone I knew was dead to me now. I decided to not think about what I was leaving or what was coming, but to live each day, each moment entirely by itself. Whether they were dressing me in some ridiculous costume or testing my sword skills, I would live for that day alone. I was cut off from my thoughts by the shock of sunlight as we exited the building. Metallic Man walked in front of us with an older man and woman, who I realized would be our mentors. I took a closer look.

The woman was old, almost sixty. She'd probably won one of the games that happened before I was even born. The man was closer to thirty. Still too old for me to remember anything about his games, but I probably wouldn't be working with him much. I focused my attention back on the woman.

I couldn't see much of her since her back was to me, but I did notice one thing; the way she held herself. There was pride in her stance. I straightened my spine and rolled my shoulders back, imitating her confidence. Mom always said I had good posture. She also walked with long strides, even in her dilapidated heels. I lengthened my own. I'd copied others all my life, why couldn't I do the same thing here? Besides, she'd won. She was as good a subject as any.

We made it inside the train and the door closed behind us. When it had fully shut out the sun, blue tinted light glowed from strips along where the floor met the walls. Two doors slotted open in the right wall leading to narrow hallways. Metallic Man pointed at the further one. "That's yours, Cougal. The other one is for Sierra." I turned and walked down it.

After a few steps, I came to a wider space, almost a room. The walls were a dark blue, and there was a bunk and wardrobe on one side of it. I ran my hand over the sheets. So soft! I knelt down by it and ran my whole arm over the lovely fabric. I'd never felt anything like it. Was there something similar in the wardrobe?

I ran over to it and yanked the door open. Clothes stared back at me. Shirts, pants, skirts, even a few dresses were stocked in different colors. I picked out a short-sleeved shirt the same color as the walls and ran my hands over it. It wasn't as soft as the sheets, but smooth and crisp. I tried it on. It was a little stiff in some places, but I liked the clean feeling against my skin. It was certainly better than my clothes from yesterday or the things I'd borrowed from Sarah.

I looked for some bottoms next. There was a wide variety of skirts, but in the very back I found a pair of tough blue pants. There was a zipper and fastenings in the front. I slipped them on. They were clean like the shirt, but stiffer and warmer. I decided I liked them.

After I finished getting dressed in all new clothes, I headed to the door at the far end of my little room. I opened it to reveal a bathroom. My hair suddenly felt very greasy to me. I stripped off the clothes and stepped into what looked like a shower. I turned it on and braced myself for the cold water. It didn't come. Instead, warm pounding engulfed me.

I twirled underneath it, letting my whole body take in the hot steam. About halfway through my turn I spotted some bottles, probably soap. After I finished washing up, I stepped out and grabbed the fluffiest towel I'd ever seen. It felt almost as good as the steam had. I slipped my new clothes back on and walked back into my own room. Where was a hairbrush in this place?

**Please Review! I'll accept costume and tribute ideas.**


End file.
